The 41 Files

In the final episode of Now Boarding, KSHB 41's Taylor Hemness talks with Susie McKenzie, a 35-year flight attendant with American Airlines. Back in 2017, she voted against building the new terminal at KCI, because she was concerned that it would mean losing the convenience that she valued so much at the old terminals. Today, she's a big fan of the terminal. During this conversation, Taylor talks with her about passenger conduct, what a terminal really means to a flight attendant, and the state of airline travel today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's kind of like moving into a new house. That's how Mike Ward described the process of moving from the old terminals at KCI, to the new terminal in 2023.  Ward is the Assistant Manager of Operations at KCI for Southwest Airlines. In this episode, he describes working conditions at the old terminals, what it was like to practice his team's jobs before the new terminal opened, that crazy all-nighter employees pulled when the terminal switch happened, and the "trashy" lessons he's learned in the first year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Were you lucky enough to fly out of Kansas City during the extreme cold weather we experienced in mid-January? Hopefully, that flight took you to someplace much warmer! But there were multiple days in January that had travelers very concerned about whether or not their flight would go on as scheduled. January presented the first real test for the new terminal at KCI in terms of severe winter weather. This month, KC Aviation Director Melissa Cooper chats with KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness about exactly how an airport deals with round after round of ice and snow.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kansas City got very familiar with a company called Edgemoor during the construction of the new terminal at KCI. People from all over the KC area attended meetings the company hosted about the terminal's design, and now those people are getting to see which suggestions actually made the cut. KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness chats with Edgemoor Senior Managing Director Geoff Stricker about how the billion-dollar project compares to others he's done, and what it's like trying to make hundreds of thousands of travelers happy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss was written in 1957? Today, the book, the animated films, even the live action film are big parts of the Christmas season for people all over the world.  This year, the official sequel to the book, titled "How the Grinch Lost Christmas," is on store shelves just in time for Christmas. The author writing for Dr. Seuss is a man named Alastair Heim, and he's lived here in Kansas City for more than 20 years. Here, you get a special chance to hear his conversation with KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness. They talk about the book, how he got it, his history with Dr. Seuss, and what it's like to write in that trademark style.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new terminal at KCI cost more than a billion dollars to build. That's hard for any traveler to put into perspective. But for the companies chosen to be involved in its construction, that represents man hours, and of course, potentially career-changing money. In this episode, I spoke to Mary McNamara, the President of Cornell Roofing in Independence. We talked about a job that she calls "transformational" for her company, and all the challenges that come along with it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How long does it take you to get to KCI? My guest this week, Kim Kluge, lives about 12 minutes away. It's a big advantage when you travel a lot for work, like she does. So what does the new terminal mean for the neighborhoods around KCI, not just right now, but in the future?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kansas City International Airport is located within District 1 of the city's council districts, represented by Kevin O'Neill and Nathan Willett. In this episode, KSHB 41 news anchor Taylor Hemness wanted to get the perspective of what it's like to represent a district that has always included the airport, but now has such a massive potential impact with the construction of the terminal. Councilman Kevin O'Neill talks history, the chances for future development, and what it's like to have his name on a plaque inside the city's very expensive "front door."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kansas City residents know that the years-long process to build a new terminal at KCI had more than its fair share of controversies.  Beyond the question of whether or not the city needed a new single terminal were the opinions on what it should look like, how it would showcase/represent KC, and if it would maintain the convenience of the city's older terminals. In this episode, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness chats with architects from SOM, the firm tasked with answering those questions in the design of the new terminal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How often do you fly, for work or personal reasons? For many Kansas Citians, air travel is a huge part of their regular lives. So the new single terminal at KCI is almost like your office being moved to a whole new building. In Episode 4 of Now Boarding, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness chats with Kevin White, who flies about three weeks out of every month, about what he's seen in the new terminal, See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travelers are still marveling at the shiny new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport.  But is there a difference from the standpoint of the men and women flying the planes in and out of there? In this episode, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness chats with Delta Airlines pilot Sam White about what HE sees in the new terminal.  After listening to this, you're almost certain to notice things you've never noticed, the next time you take a flight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before the new terminal at KCI was complete, the NFL Draft was identified as the first big test of its efficiency. Now that the NFL Draft is over, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness speaks with Kathy Nelson, head of both Visit KC, and the Kansas City Sports Commission, about not only how the terminal performed, but also its overall role in attracting visitors to KC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five KSHB 41 news staffers undertook a deep dive into the BBQ Capital of America's world-renowned barbecue scene. In the spirit of the NFL Draft coming to Kansas City, here's their 2023 KC BBQ Draft.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1 KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness is joined by Kansas City Aviation Department Director Pat Klein.  Klein, who's been in the role for seven years, is set to retire in 2023. He describes the first month of KCI's new single terminal, some of the work it took to get the terminal built, and what the future may hold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this month's Faith in KC, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness speaks with pastors from both congregations about the arrangement, its challenges and how long it may go on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faith in KC returns this month with a guest whose lifelong walk with faith is very different from many people's.Brother Thomas Sullivan has been a monk at Conception Abbey for decades. During this episode, he discusses his decision to become a monk, and what that journey has been like. He also describes his relationship with prayer, and why it's not easy for him just because of the life he's chosen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness examined the future of houses of worship post-COVID in a special 360 report. In conjunction with that report, he reached out to the University of Kansas Religious Studies Department, to talk about its Religion in Kansas Project. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faith in KC has featured conversations examining the tenants and belief systems of multiple faith backgrounds represented across Kansas City. In this month's Faith in KC, KSHB 41 News anchor Taylor Hemness spoke with Jordan McKinney, president of the Kansas City Atheist Coalition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, and many members of that community in Kansas City practice Hinduism. In the latest edition of Faith in KC, KSHB 41's Taylor Hemness sat down to speak with Dr. Deb Bhaduri on behalf of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Kansas City. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Black History Month comes to a close, KSHB 41 News wanted to highlight some of the systemic issues affecting Black Kansas Citians. In the third part of a three-part podcast mini-series, digital producers Katharine Finnerty and Casey Murray will explore the challenges Black entrepreneurs face and what Kansas City can do to better support them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Black History Month comes to a close, KSHB 41 News wanted to highlight some of the systemic issues affecting Black Kansas Citians. In the second part of a three-part podcast mini-series, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will explore the topic of redlining, how the discriminatory practice has affected one East Kansas City neighborhood and how that neighborhood is fighting back.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Black History Month comes to a close, KSHB 41 News wanted to highlight some of the systemic issues affecting Black Kansas Citians. In the first part of a three-part podcast mini-series, digital producers Katharine Finnerty and Casey Murray will explore the topic of food deserts, places where residents do not have access to affordable and healthy foods, and how one business owner is honoring his grandmother's legacy through juice.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this month's episode of Faith in KC, KSHB 41's Taylor Hemness speaks to Major Kelly Collins, divisional commander for Kansas and Western Missouri. She shares how her faith has been impacted during 35 years of service to the Salvation Army and what working for the Army is like, especially during the holidays. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KSHB 41 News Today anchor Taylor Hemness continues his series examining the role of faith in the lives of Kansas Citians. In this episode, he spoke with prison Chaplain Matt Mason. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journalists are professional eyewitnesses to traumatic events, and that is especially true of 9/11. KSHB 41 News anchor Cynthia Newsome was getting ready for work at the station and watching the news when she heard about the attacks. She reported on how 9/11 impacted Kansas Citians 20 years ago.  In the final episode of KSHB 41 News' five-part podcast mini-series about the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will explore how the field of journalism has changed, and listeners will hear from Newsome about her experience reporting on 9/11.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To this day, airport security is one of the most recognizable, direct changes made in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  The federal government established the Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, which is now responsible for keeping airports safe.  In the fourth episode of KSHB 41 News' five-part podcast mini-series on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will explore how the Kansas City International Airport was impacted by 9/11, and why people in the metro continue to keep the memory of the attacks alive.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 9/11, the country unified to heal from the tragedy, but some were not included in that unity. Some Muslim and Middle-Eastern people living in the U.S. experienced an increased amount of hate crimes and violence against them after 9/11.  Educators are doing what they can to teach their students why such prejudices are wrong, but it's a challenge when those students weren't even born when 9/11 happened. In the third episode of KSHB 41 News' five-part podcast mini-series about the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will hear from Dr. Laeeq Azmat, Platte County High School teacher Zach Keith and more about 9/11's impact on the Islamic community, as well as how educators are teaching 9/11 to students who didn't experience the life-changing event firsthand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The legacy of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, has grown increasingly complicated following a 20-year war in Afghanistan. That's taking its toll on service members.  The memory of the war and its withdrawal can be a painful source of conflict for veterans. The attacks were an incentive for many to join the military, but studies show PTSD is worse in veterans now than it's ever been.  In the second episode of KSHB 41 News' five part podcast mini-series about the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty will explore how service people in Kansas City were impacted by the attacks, and how they are impacted now as the U.S. ends its longest war. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Sept. 11, 2001, four planes hijacked by al-Qaeda members crashed into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.  Everyone who was alive will forever remember where they were and what they were doing when they first got the news about the 9/11 attacks. In the first episode of KSHB 41 News' five-part podcast mini-series on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, digital producers Katharine Finnerty and Casey Murray will go back to that day. The episode features archived footage from the week of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as firsthand accounts from a retired FBI agent, the family of a victim of 9/11 and a cameraman who was there that day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kansas City Royals General Manager Dayton Moore is very public with his faith, openly sharing his adherence to Christianity, and how it impacts his life. KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness spoke to Moore about how he balances a life of faith, and a career in professional sports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Steve Stites of the University of Kansas Health System is one of the front line faces in KC's fight against COVID-19.  In this edition of Faith in KC, he talks with Taylor Hemness about how he's used his faith as a guide during the pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 17, 1981, two skywalks in the Hyatt Regency hotel fell onto partygoers beneath them. The accident resulted in 114 people killed and hundreds others injured. Digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty take a look at what happened and how the disaster changed America 40 years later in this two-part miniseries. In part one, we'll take you back to the day of the collapse and hear from a first responder about his experience at the Hyatt as well as a person who lost his mother and step-father in the collapse. Find more information about the collapse on our website, kshb.com/hyatt40. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On July 17, 1981, two skywalks in the Hyatt Regency hotel fell onto partygoers beneath them. The accident resulted in 114 people killed and hundreds others injured. Digital producers Casey Murray and Katharine Finnerty take a look at what happened and how the disaster changed America 40 years later in this two-part miniseries. In part two, we'll take a closer look at the mistake that caused the collapse, and how fields like emergency medicine and engineering were changed because of it. Find more information about the collapse on our website kshb.com/hyatt40. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Faith in KC, 41 Action News Today anchor Taylor Hemness speaks to Kansas City Lama Matt Rice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a case just 45 seconds in the making; nearly 45 years later, it remains unsolved. A precious, valuable collection of swords and daggers was stolen from the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum in 1978. In this special episode of 41 Files, host Hailey Godburn talks with investigator Cat Reid about this mystery gone cold. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

41 Action News anchor Taylor Hemness discusses with Pastor Darron Edwards of United Believers Community Church in this edition of Faith in KC. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

41 Action News Anchor Taylor Hemness spoke with Imam Jamal Shakur of Al-Inshirah Islamic Center in Kansas City about the month, and what it means to the Muslim community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The jury in the trial of Kylr Yust has recommended the maximum sentences possible for each of the crimes of which they convicted him. Journey for Justice podcast hosts Hailey Godburn and Katelyn Brown, and 41 Action News anchor Cailtlin Knute, explain the nuances of his sentence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kylr Yust has been found guilty in the deaths of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions. Journey for Justice podcast hosts Katelyn Brown and Hailey Godburn break down the verdict and possible sentencing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the ninth day of his double murder trial, Kylr Yust himself took the witness stand. 41 Action News reporters Andy Alcock and Sarah Plake break down Yust's testimony and the attorneys' final words to the jury before deliberation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The jury again spent much of the day outside the courtroom during the eighth day of Kylr Yust's double murder trial in Cass County. 41 Action News reporter Andres Gutierrez explains why jurors heard some testimony, but were not allowed to hear testimony from others in the latest “Journey for Justice: The Trial of Kylr Yust” podcast update. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The defense was up to bat in Day 7 of Kylr Yust's double murder trial, and they got off to what seemed to be a rocky start, plagued with no-show witnesses and debate about the relevance or accuracy of witnesses who did show up. 41 Action News reporter joins podcast host Hailey Godburn to break down the short, yet confusing, proceedings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Court proceedings took no rest in the murder trial of Kylr Yust, presenting some of the most compelling evidence yet on Saturday.  Day six saw a lot of expert witness testimony to pair with the evidence presented by the prosecution, including photographs of human remains and details of forensic investigation and identification.  The jury also heard from the man who discovered remains, a mushroom hunter who admitted he was trespassing when he stumbled upon a human skull. The prosecution rested at the end of Saturday, making the way for the defense to begin presenting their case Monday morning.  41 Action News investigative reporter Andy Alcock joined podcast host Katelyn Brown to talk about the hard-to-witness evidence and what the experts had to say.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fifth day of Kylr Yust's murder trial, while more technical in nature, was no less compelling. The majority of Friday's testimony centered on evidence in the Jessica Runions case. 41 Action News reporter Sarah Plake joins podcast host Hailey Godburn to highlight key points from the day's proceedings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Day four in the double murder trial of Kylr Yust provided insight into the details surrounding his relationship with Jessica Runions and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. 41 Action News reporter Andres Gutierrez joins podcast host Hailey Godburn to go over the latest testimony offered in Cass County court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second day of witness testimony in the double murder trial of Kylr Yust was markedly different from the first. While the prosecution and defense blew threw 15 witnesses Tuesday, only four took the stand Wednesday. In this “Journey for Justice” podcast update, hear 41 Action News reporter Sarah Plake detail the compelling testimony from two of Yust's ex-girlfriends. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the second day of Kylr Yust's double murder trial, jurors heard from 15 witnesses. 41 Action News' Caitlin Knute and Andres Gutierrez detail some key points in witness testimonies from family, friends and investigators. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On day one of Kylr Yust's double murder trial, the jury was sworn in and the prosecution and defense teams made (very different) opening statements. 41 Action News' Caitlin Knute and Andy Alcock join podcast hosts Hailey Godburn and Katelyn Brown from the Cass County Justice Center to talk about the day's proceedings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the final episode of the “Journey for Justice: The Trial of Kylr Yust” mini-series on 41 Files, podcast hosts Katelyn Brown and Hailey Godburn bring in third-party experts to examine Yust's defense. Clay County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Chris Johnson shares how investigators chase leads in a missing persons case, and 41 Action News anchor Caitlin Knute gives perspective from defense attorney John Picerno. Check this feed again beginning April 5 for daily trial updates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The families of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions were brought together by tragedy. Through the thick and thin of this case, they've stuck together. 41 Action News reporters Sarah Plake and Andres Gutierrez join podcast hosts Katelyn Brown and Hailey Godburn to talk about the families' relationship and their pursuit toward justice for their girls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This case spans more than a decade from the time Kara Kopetsky went missing to now, when Kylr Yust is going to trial for her and Jessica Runions' murders. 41 Action News reporters Sarah Plake, Andres Gutierrez and Andy Alcock join podcast hosts Katelyn Brown and Hailey Godburn to discuss how they've each covered developments in this long journey toward resolution. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.